


Friends Can Spoon

by amylou22



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 2nd year group chat, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Texting, i have invented a new ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 21:33:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15373767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amylou22/pseuds/amylou22
Summary: When she moved away back when he was 10 he didn't expect to see her as Fukurodani's first year manager. He also didn't expect to fall for her.Or : Nishinoya and Kaori dance around each other all year until their teams get involved.





	Friends Can Spoon

**Author's Note:**

> This is such a rare pair that it doesn't exist. Why? My haikyuu miis in tomodachi life got together and now I ship them. Also, this was months of on and off writing that I never thought I would finish let alone post but here we are.

  
When the ball hit the ground in their match against seijoh his hand was centimetres away from it. If he had been a millisecond faster, he might have picked it up. But he didn’t. And that meant he had to improve. Which was why he was so excited at the aspect of being able to take part in their first weekend long training camp with powerhouse schools from Tokyo.  
The bus ride there was boisterous. Everyone was feeling the same way as him. They would take every step they could to grow. And this was it.  
He had been on the bus for almost five hours before they came to a stop outside Nekoma High School. He leaped off the bus – not taking his cramped legs into consideration – pain slowly subsiding.  
They were quickly thrown into games with little time for chatter until a lunch break was announced and they all headed towards the dining hall. Every team sat at individual tables – most being too uncomfortable sitting next to anyone outside of their own team – until Fukurodanis ace – Bokuto? Nishinoya thought that was his name anyway, paced over to Nekomas table and sat next to Kuroo, starting up an embarrassingly loud conversation. Fukurodanis setter wasn’t far behind him and sat next to Kenma. That was the beginning.  
By dinner time there was more people sitting with members of other teams than their own and Nishinoya found himself and the rest of Karasunos second years at a table with the managers from each team surprisingly enough. And even more surprisingly the seating arrangements stayed the same for the remainder of the weekend. This of course meant there was time to mingle. Ennoshita – being the actual saint that he was – was able to flawlessly communicate with the six girls – even getting Kiyoko to snort with laughter – which Tanaka and himself later regarded as a ‘pure miracle’ and ‘blessing upon this earth’  
Ennoshita even went as far to engage the full table in a discussion about pineapple on pizza which soon became a war.  
“Dude then the pineapple string gets stuck in your teeth and that’s just annoying” Nishinoya fired at Tanaka  
“But it’s the perfect mix of sweet and savoury!” Kinoshita countered, taking a large bite of his panini.  
Yukie stood up,clearing her throat “It is a sin and I don’t appreciate it”  
Kaori laughed next to her. “And it’s extra calories”  
“But it’s like a flavour rollercoaster” Yachi exaggerated, holding her hands to her cheeks.

  
He later boarded the bus, forcing himself to stay awake until he sat down.  
“Suzumeda-san was really kind wasn’t she? And Shirofuku-san was so funny!” Yachi rambled next to him as he tried to put his bag in the overhead storage.  
“Suzumeda?” He questioned – recognising the surname while Tanaka took the bag off him and put it in the overheard storage with a snicker directed to his lack of height.  
“Fukurodanis first year manager, Suzumeda Kaori” Yachi explained, passing her bag to Tanaka.  
“Wait her name is Suzumeda Kaori?” Nishinoya pauses.  
“Umm yes.. I think so. Why?”  
Nishinoya doesn’t answer her. Instead he darts forward, pushing Tanaka to the side as he lunges towards the window. He quickly tugs it open as the teams waiting to wish them farewell look at him in confusion.  
“Where’s Kaori?” He frantically looks through the crowd of players for her freckled face and signature ponytail only to see her startled eyes widen in realisation as their bus begins to pull away.

  
_“Do you really have to leave?” He asked her, voice cracking as tears began to cascade down his face._  
_“I wish I didn’t. But I don’t have a choice” she whispered as she swung her legs that dangled from the tree._  
_That tree was where it all had begun. He was 6 years old, filled with fear and curiosity, and then he was crushed. Physically flattened. A girl had fallen on top of him from the tree above, her deafening shriek not warning him quick enough of her immediate impact. They had both sat up, locked eyes and began to cry. And from there they had became the closest friends. Neighbours. Nothing could get in their way._  
_And then, at the age of 10, it all collapsed around them. She was being forced to move to Tokyo with her mother as a condition of her parents divorce. It seemed unbelievable, but he knew it was coming after the countless nights she would crawl across the tree between their houses and chap on his window, and he would end up holding her whilst she cried._  
_“When do you leave?” He rasped through the tears._  
_“Thursday.” she replied, hanging her head downwards._  
_“That’s only two days away”_  
_“I know.” She cried. Nishinoya wrapped his arm around her, rubbing soothing circles into her shoulder. “I’m going to miss you so much Yu”_  
_“I’m gonna miss you too Kaori”_  
_She pressed a small chaste kiss to his cheek before shuffling along the tree branch back to her own house leaving him alone in tears_.

  
By the time the next training camp had rolled around Nishinoya was determined to refine his skills even further in order to finally beat Aoba Johsai. But he was also determined to finally see Kaori. In all honesty, he was so frustrated that he didn’t recognise her. However, her hair had changed from a delicate blond to a soft honey brown and her freckles had became far more pronounced. Not to mention she grew. Like, a lot. He wondered if she was feeling the same about recognising him. Or if she didn’t care anymore. Or if she didn’t remember at all.  
Tanaka nudged him from the seat beside him.  
“I’m trying to sleep Ryuuu” Noya groaned, stretching his arms out in front of him.  
“I think you mean you’re trying to contain your teen angst.” Tanaka snickered, “and it’s not like I can help with that. Since you refuse to tell me what caused your mini freak out at the end of the last camp.”  
Nishinoya sighed. “Do you have to know?”  
Tanaka vigorously nodded. “Of course I do”  
“Finnnnee” He drawled. “Me and Kaori were best friends back in elementary before she moved away and I literally didn’t recognise her until I found out her name at the last camp. I don’t know if she remembers, let alone if she wants to” He paused, taking a deep breath. “And even then, I’m so confused because I’ve not seen her in like 6 years and-“  
Tanaka grabbed his arm. “You’re definitely over-thinking it.” Nishinoya glanced up at him with a confused look. “There’s no way she would want to have nothing to do with you. You’re Nishinoya Yu!”  
Noya smiled lightly. “Damn right I am.”

It was later that day when he finally saw her again. They had all stopped to eat dinner and much to his surprise, the mixed tables had reformed. Conversation flowed easily but Noya remained silent, unsure of what to say. His meal was mostly untouched when the coaches signaled the end of dinnertime and told them all to wash up and get an early night.  
Nishinoya went to stand up but was startled by a light tap on his arm. Upon turning around he was met with the flushed face of Kaori and everything seemed to slow down. He swore he could see the flutter of her eyelashes as she thought about what she would say.  
“Do you maybe want to go for a walk?” she stuttered, twisting a strand of hair from her ponytail around her finger.  
He was positive his face must’ve contorted into the most disgusting perplexed look the world had seen. She did want something to do with him!  
He bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah.”

  
In complete contrast to the way he expected, it was so almost as if nothing had changed over the course of those six years. Time seemed to fly by as they spent hours sitting on the grassy slope outside of Shinzens gymnasium talking about absolutely nothing.  
“Is my dad doing okay?”  
“Nowadays he’s doing great. He took it really hard when you both left but he’s really picked himself up. He’s a baker now.”  
Kaori’s broken smile widened. “I’m so glad.”  
“How are you though?”  
“I mean, I’ve been better. But you know how it is.”  
“True that.” She smiled and looked closer at him. “We’ve changed a lot though. Look at your hair!”  
He laughed as she took his blonde fringe in her hands and began to play with it.  
“You say that as if you haven’t changed a bit”  
Kaori suddenly sat up straighter as her eyes met her clock. “It’s after midnight! The coaches are gonna kill us”  
Nishinoya jumped up in fear. “No way, they would’ve caught us by now”  
“I don’t know about you but I’m not gonna risk it” Kaori laughed before getting up and beginning to head down the hill.  
“Wait!” Nishinoya shouted , running to catch up with her.  
She turned back around just in time to be pulled into an amorous hug. He clutched her tightly, the fear of her leaving again on full display.  
“I missed you so much” He whispered shyly.  
Kaori wrapped her arms around him. “I missed you so much too”  
“Can I give you my number?” she asked quietly. “I really don’t want to lose you again”  
Nishinoya smiled, releasing the hug and retrieving his phone form his pocket. “of course. I hope you know that I plan to add you on every form of social media”  
She giggled and entered her contact information. “I hope you know that I’ll be doing the exact same.”  
They hugged again before parting ways.

  
Within the blink of an eye the camp was over. And Nishinoya’s heart was in pieces yet again. Although they barely had any time to talk with the spring tournament on the horizon, he and gotten so used to her presence in his life that he was at a loss without it.  
[Kaori <3]  
Kaori [10.45]  
I’m gonna miss you  
Yu [10.46]  
Same :’(  
Kaori [10.47]  
We’re so dependant on each other omg  
Yu [10.48]  
I know its scary  
Like I panicked sm when I realised it was u  
Kaori [10.49]  
Same tho  
I mustve looked constipated when I realised hahahha  
Yu [10.50]  
Hahahhaha wtf  
I am a blessing of a person  
U should be honoured to be my childhood friend  
Kaori [10.51]  
Ofc how could I forget ur brilliance  
Yu [10.52]  
Im so tired but I dont wanna stop talking to u  
Kaori [10.52]  
Me too  
Its pretty surreal tbh  
I feel like I’ll wake up and itll be like before  
And u arent there  
Yu [10.53]  
Dw I’m the same  
Like I feel like I’m dreaming  
But like  
Constantly  
Kaori [10.54]  
U should sleep  
I will too tho  
Yu [10.55]  
Gn then  
Kaori [10.56]  
Goodnight  
<3  
Yu [10.59]  
<3  
That night he fell asleep with a smile permanently etched onto his face.

  
The days turned to weeks and Karasuno had finally beaten Aoba Johsai – and Shiratorizawa. All their hard work had paid off and despite it feeling like a weight off of their shoulders, their was even more pressure as nationals were only a month away. Nishinoya scooped up a large bundle of cereal onto his spoon as he checked his notifications from whilst he was asleep.  
[Life is a downhill slope from here ]  
Ryuuuu [01.23]  
Boi u need to get ur gal  
Enno [01.24]  
Ano it’s getting ridiculous  
Ryuuuu [01.25]  
Their pining hurts me  
Kino [01.26]  
Bitch same  
Nari [01.27]  
Whats their ship name  
They NEED a ship name  
Like now.  
Ennoshita [01.29]  
Nishiori?  
Ryuuuu [01.29]  
Stanning nishiori tbh  
Kino [01.30]  
Dude me 2  
Nari [01.31]  
So it has been decided  
NISHIORI FOR THE WIN

  
Noya [06.43]  
Why r use like this  
Ryuuuu [06.45]  
Bc we love u obvs  
Enno [06.46]  
Ya ur our main bitch  
Kino [09.01]  
It’s a Sunday wtf why did u feel the need to wake me up  
Nvm it’s Monday  
I’m late.  
-  
School was a routinely ordeal by this point and despite just scraping by in all of his classes, Nishinoya didn’t particularly mind learning. Sure volleyball was ten times more exciting but if he wasn’t feeling the love for the class he was in he could zone out and think about other, more important, matters. Like Kaori. He knew he would see her soon when nationals began but she was a subject that never left his mind. As much as they tried to talk they always were far too busy to stay for long conversations and he quickly came to the realisation that life was different. There was no way that she would be able to give up all her time for him and there was no way that he could do the same in return. Playdates after primary school ended had been replaced by fleeting Skype calls and text chains with messages hours apart. And he simply refused to believe that this was all that they could amount to.  
These thoughts plagued his mind even as he walked home from school hours later in a dejected manner. As he approached his front door and began to dig around his pocket for the key he heard footsteps behind him.  
Nishinoya quickly turned around only to be greeted by Kaori whose smile was so wide it nearly met her ears.  
“I’m staying at my dad’s for the long weekend!” she announced happily resuming her skip towards him.  
He approached her and wrapped her in a tight hug. “It hasn’t even been that long but I’m missing you constantly.” She whispered and he hugged her tighter.  
“when we can have a conversation without saying I missed you then we’re officially sorted” He snickered.  
She slapped his back lightly. “we’re such wrecks.”  
“aren’t we just perfect?”  
He invited her in and regardless of how long it had been since Kaori had visited his house she knew it almost as well as the back of her hand. It didn’t stop her from being shocked at the change of his bedroom from a bright childish yellow to a rustic brick patterned wallpaper on the largest wall and an overall minimalist makeover before it was filled with everything that made it his. A modestly sized television sat precariously tilted on several dvd cases on a large unit with several gaming consoles and wires snaking across the carpeted floor. Clothes lay in small heaps in the general area of his wardrobe ready to be either put away or washed and honestly? He was pretty embarrassed about it. His room was a boys pigsty.  
Kaori buckled with laughter upon seeing his disgusted look. “it’s not that bad...”  
“This is why my mum tells me about visitors. So they don’t see...” He gestured wildly in front of him “whatever this is supposed to be”  
“it’s still cute though. And your bed looks so comfortable!” she pat his shoulder in mock sympathy before collapsing dramatically onto his bed.  
He flopped down beside her and ran a hand through his hair. “Do you wanna watch something?”  
“I’m always a slut for a good movie” she replied as she made herself comfortable on the large bed.  
“Have you seen Ki Mi No Na Wa? I haven’t but I’ve heard good things if you’re up for it” He suggested before moving himself up the bed next to Kaori.  
“I saw the trailer and let me tell you. I am so ready for this.” She giggled and rested her head on his shoulder.  
He was ready to recoil in shock. But he didn’t. Kaori was definitely just trying to go back to the way they were before. So he rested his head on top of hers. And sure, it was by far one of the most uncomfortable ways he had ever sat in his life. But it was with Kaori. Really, that was all that mattered to him.  
The film dragged on a bit and by the end of it they both lay together sound asleep on Nishinoyas bed. When he awoke, he was confused. Mainly because he had ended up spooning Kaori whilst they slept. But also because this was way too domestic for him to handle. So he unlatched himself from her sleeping body and stumbled downstairs to make breakfast and thanked the Lords that his mum was on a business trip or he never would have heard the end of it.  
Contrary to popular belief, Nishinoya did actually have a shred of decency left in him as he made Kaori toast with a thick layer of butter slathered across it and took it upstairs.  
He shook her arm gently as she began to stir.  
“I made you breakfast so now you owe me your life” He teased as she groggily opened her eyes.  
“If it’s anything like the way you used to cook then I won’t have a life to owe you” Kaori muttered as she stretched her arms out in front of her.  
“My mum made me take a class. I’m basically a chef at this point” He complained as he passed her the plate of food.  
Glancing at the plate and then back up at him she spoke in surprise. “This looks amazing. For toast at least.”  
He grinned. “That’s what I was going for”  
Kaori winked at him in an exaggerated manner as she took a bite of the toast. “This is good. I’m proud” she said incoherently as she took another large bite.  
The part about Kaori being there just for her dad seemed slightly unrealistic considering that she spent every waking moment with Nishinoya by her side. And by Sunday night he realised that they had slept side by side since Thursday. Platonically of course. And as he thought about this he remained lying on Kaori’s old bed rubbing circles on her shoulder.  
“Do you think I should post that selfie we took earlier?” she questioned with her eyes closed as his feather light touches relaxed her.  
“the one with the filter in the park?”  
“yeah”  
“It was cute. I don’t see why not.”  
[Kaxri.suzumeda has posted a photo]  
[167 likes] [17 comments]  
tanaka.ryu blessed by this nishiori  
nishi.noya @tanaka.ryu ???  
ennoshitachikara @nishi.noya don’t question it  
yxkie has my kouhai finally found love  
bokutowl @yxkie not with the ENEMY team  
yxkie @bokutowl with our FAVOURITE team : ) x  
kuroo @bokutowl you better run

And yeah. They were close. He might have failed to realise just how close until he was walking with her to the train station with their arms linked together. Maybe not then. But definitely when he hugged her for so long that she almost missed her train back to Tokyo. Maybe not then either. Okay. It was when he got home and collapsed into his bed with tears streaming down his face because that would be the last time he really saw her until nationals. But even then it would be short and sweet. And he didn’t know if he could do that.  
[Ryu]  
Ryu [11.12]  
So.... have you accepted it yet?  
Noya [11.14]  
What  
Ryu [11.14]  
U know what  
Noya [11.15]  
I rly don’t dude  
Ryu [11.16]  
Im talking about ur undying love for Suzumeda  
Noya [11.17]  
She’s just my childhood friend  
Ryu [11.18]  
And that why u ignored us the whole holiday weekend to spend time with her  
Noya [11.20]  
We were  
Catching up  
Ryu [11.21]  
Idk if spooning every night counts as catching up dude  
Noya [11.22]  
How do u know we spooned  
Ryu [11.23]  
Damn lucky guess  
But wtf u guys spooned each night but u arent together  
Noya [11.24]  
Friends can spoon  
Ryu [11.25]  
Ye but u defo want more than that  
I can tell  
Bro intuition  
Noya [11.29]  
Okay  
So maybe I like her. A little.  
Ryu [11.29]  
!!!!!!!  
IT IS FAR MORE THAN ‘A LITTLE’ AND U KNOW IT  
Noya [11.30]  
Yeaahhh....  
It’s defo more than a little.  
I might love her  
Ryu [11.31]  
DUDE  
YES  
MARRY EACH OTHER  
NOW  
Noya [11.32]  
We’re 16 hahahaha  
Is marriage even legal  
Ryu [11.33]  
No I just googled it  
Fmlllllll  
Noya [11.34]  
But what do I do  
Ryuu [11.34]  
Tell her obviously  
Noya [11.35]  
She’s doesn’t like me like that  
Ryu [11.36]  
U dont know that  
Noya [11.37]  
Pretty sure I do  
Ryuu [11.38]  
But was she the one who initiated most of ur contact  
Noya [11.41]  
I guess  
Ryu [11.42]  
Then she likes u  
Noya [11.43]  
Yeah  
As a FRIEND  
FRIENDS CAN SPOON  
Ryu [11.45]  
YES BUT RLY UR MORE THAN THAT  
Noya [11.46]  
FRIENDS CAN SPOON  
-  
Time seemed to pass even quicker as the days before nationals became just hours. Nishinoya had tried to remain in contact with Kaori but with replies sometimes taking days to recieve, they agreed to focus on nationals. It was only fair. He didn’t want to let his team down and she had to be ready take over as manager as soon as the competition ended.  
As always, the bus ride was unbearably loud and he was right in the centre of the boisterous laughter and jokes as they approached their accommodation. Each year was able to get their own room so the second years quickly departed from the rest of the group and headed off on their own to their shared room. Once sleeping bags and pillows had been lain in a spacious circle in the empty looking room the boys sat down with two large bags of doritos and several kitkats.  
“Thank God we came a few days before the competition” Tanaka said as he tore open the first kitkat.  
“How come?” Kinoshita inquired.  
“Because now Noya gets to visit his girlfriend during our free day tomorrow.” Ennoshita ripped open the doritos.  
“Kaori isn’t my girlfriend” He muttered into his own bag of doritos.  
“How did you know they were talking about Kaori then?” Narita grabbed the doritos from his hands as he teased him.  
Nishinoya sighed deeply and fell back onto his sleeping bag. “it’s the coaches fault for giving us a free day.”  
“It was so we could chill out a bit before practice starts again the day after.” Ennoshita mumbled with several doritos on their way to his mouth.  
“Yeah well I’m going on a hunt for green tea kitkats” Tanaka mused as he waved about his regular one. “They never sell them in miyagi and I need to stock up on novelty food”  
Kinoshita snickered “I’ll go with you”  
“Same” resounded from both Ennoshita and Narita.  
“Guess I’m on my own then” Nishinoya grumbled jokingly.  
“I mean... I guess we could meet up later and get food” Tanaka finished off his kitkat and dropped the wrapping to the floor dramatically.  
“We’ll see”

The next day began with Nishinoya fretting over what to wear for about 15 minutes before Ennoshita woke up and handed him a pair of skinny jeans and a red tshirt that was just casual enough to make it look effortless. The guys continued to tease him all through breakfast and up until they parted ways at the train station as they went further into the city and Noya opted to wait for Kaori.  
Before long she was running along the platform in a cute yellow denim skirt and white strappy top. Her hair that was usually tucked up in a ponytail had been neatly straightened and framed her freckled face. He tried desperately to stop himself from staring.  
“Sorry I’m a bit late, were you waiting long?”  
“No I only got here a few minutes ago”  
They quickly descended into casual conversation away from volleyball and were on the train in no time. The train ended up being cramped and Kaori found herself pressed into Noya’s side with his arm holding her against him as the train rattled along the tracks. It was a tad uncomfortable in the beginning but they were no strangers to proximity and the awkward atmosphere that came with not seeing each other in weeks quickly dissipated.  
A few stops passed before Kaori was tugging him off the train at a stop just before the city centre. The area was bright and full of life with quaint hole in the wall restaurants and independent shops on every street. Colourful street art lined alleyways and buildings with sprawling waves of vibrancy. Her hand never let his go as she led him through backstreets and cobbled paths before finally coming to a stop outside a somewhat bland looking ramen restaurant.  
Nishinoya followed her through the doorway and heard the faint ringing of a bell above his head as he entered the store. They were quickly seated at a table that hung out from the wall with two chairs on higher stilts to reach it. The menu was quite small but once their food arrived he understood why Kaori loved the place. The flavours were intense but at the same time mild enough that he could inhale his bowl in no time. Thankfully, Kaori was much the same and didn’t seem to care that her fast eating looked horrible. She was completely at ease being herself which filled him with happiness.  
After they finished they got back on the train and moved towards the centre of the city to go shopping. Once they got there the pair wondered about between countless stores and Nishinoya ended up buying her a simple bracelet from a cheap jewellery shop – they were only high schoolers – which she adored and swore to never take off. He laughed at this and they moved on to a inviting looking sweet shop. That was where Noya came to a pause.  
“Kaori, all of my year are standing an isle ahead of us.” He murdered guiding her out the shop.  
She stopped them both. “I don’t mind meeting your friends Yu. I’m sure they won’t have any issues...”  
Nishinoya wasn’t exactly opposed to Kaori getting to know his friends but he wasn’t sure if they were going to take it too far with the teasing.  
“Okay then..” He caved and began to walk back into the shop. “Oii Ryuu!”  
The boy in question turned his head around in an instant. “Noya!! How’s it going?”  
They met with an odd bro fist that had Kaori questioning if she was right to let herself be properly introduced. Sure they had briefly spoken at the training camp but it wasn’t the same without volleyball holding them together.  
“I know you’ve already kind of met her but she wants to be properly introduced so here’s Kaori” Nishinoya remained a bit unsure but kept it together. It was much more nerve racking than he expected it to be.  
Kaori stepped forward now and greeted each of the 2nd years with a genuine friendliness that they didn’t seem to be expecting.  
“We were just about to get dinner somewhere do you guys wanna come with?” Ennoshita enquired as he sorted the candy they had bought into Narita’s bag.  
Kaori looked towards him in a surprisingly pleading way. They hadn’t had lunch too long ago but there was always room for dinner.  
“I’m up for it, where’re we going?”  
“Midori Zushi” Kinoshita piped up from behind Ennoshita.  
“ohh I love it there” Kaori grinned and took Nishinoya’s hand leading him and the rest of the group outside the store and towards the restaurant.  
The six of them ended up being squished around a small table next to the conveyor belt. Kaori slid across her small seat towards him so that their thighs were touching as they ate. The meal itself was great and everyone ate their food as conversation easily flowed between the group. It seemed like he really didn’t have that much to worry about as they all made sure to include Kaori in their chats – not that she needed much help to begin with – and not one person teased him. Yet.  
As soon as they returned to the lodge and Kaori had been walked to hers, they were on him.  
“If I wasn’t already a die hard shipper of you two then I am now.” Narita stated, looking pleased at the collection of sweets he had bought.  
Tanaka looked up from his new bag of doritos and sighed. “Are you honestly telling me that you still don’t think she likes you?”  
Noya rubbed his hand down his face. “there’s no way.”  
The four boys sighed in unison. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”  
[Kaori <3]  
Kaori [11.43]  
I rly enjoyed myself today  
Thx for spending it with me  
Ya know, like instead of ur teammates  
It meant a lot  
Yu [11.44]  
Ofc I was gonna spend it wif u  
I see those idiots all the time  
And u mean a lot to me so I guess we’re even  
Kaori [11.47]  
<3  
I rly wish we never lost contact  
Yu [11.47]  
Me too  
But we were way too young to have any way of keeping in touch  
Not much we could do about it  
Kaori [11.48]  
It rly sucked for a long time for me tho  
Middle school was rough  
U mean the world to me Yu  
Noya [11.51]  
U mean the world to me aswell  
I wish u never had to go through what u did  
Kaori [11.52]  
I’m acc gonna start crying omg  
Can’t be having that at this time  
Yu[11.53]  
:’(  
Kaori [11.54]  
Good luck tomorrow  
<3  
Yu [11.54]  
U too <3

Within a few days they somehow found themselves in the semifinals. Against Fukurodani. Of course. He was still going to put all his effort in, but the thought of Kaori being upset hurt him. He hadn’t seen her cry since that night when he was ten. And he didn’t know if he could handle seeing her break like that again. She put everything into that team, and he didn’t want to see her efforts go to waste but his couldn’t either.  
The match itself dragged out to the final set. By then both teams were running on empty but they couldn’t seem to break out of the deuce that they’d been carrying from the very beginning of the set. They were up the thirties now and Noya could feel his legs protesting every time he dived for the ball or threw himself across the court for the liberos toss, but he couldn’t afford to stop. Not before the final hurdle.  
Before he could even think, his body took over. He threw his arms out as he dived toward the back of the court just willing himself to be fast enough to pick up the ball. The receive was off. But that was enough to get their engine rolling. Kageyama aligned himself with the ball and before Fukurodani could register that their spike had been picked up, Hinata had launched it right onto their side of the court.  
The whistle blew and Tanaka hauled him off his spot on the ground.  
“Dude we won. We won!” Tanaka hollered before it finally sunk in. They were in the finals. They made it to the finals of nationals. It was like a dream that seemed unrealistic was finally coming true. He leaped into the air.  
“We won! We actually won!” Noya grinned. They were so close now. And then it clicked. Kaori. With bleak eyes he turned to see tears cascading down her freckled cheeks and everything stopped. Yukie stood with an arm around her shoulders trying to calm her and all he wanted to do in that moment was embrace her in a hug until she was okay. But he was torn between his sorrow for her and his elation for himself. He didn’t want to be selfish, but there was little he could do as their team were carted off the court for the next semifinal to begin.  
The rest of the team whooped and hollered as they rolled down the hallways to change back into casual clothes. He joined them as best he could but deep down his heart was crying with her. When they made it back to the hotel sleep was instantaneous. There were the finals to look forward to and all he could do now was rest up and prepare himself for the last battle of the spring tournament.  
He woke up to chaos. Tanaka was on the phone to who he quickly recognised as Taketora. It was Nekoma that made it. Everyone was buzzing with anticipation for the real battle at the garbage dump. And it was the final decider. He had to push his worry for Kaori aside and focus on his main priority. His team.  
[Kaori <3]  
Kaori [08.19]  
Good luck <3  
Yu [08.37]  
<3  
If they thought the match yesterday was intense then this one was on a whole other level. It was a five set match with everything on the line. The stakes were high and neither team could afford to back down as their limbs got heavy and spikes weaker but just as difficult to receive. One slip up could end everything. Despite the 5th set having match point at 15, they passed the 25 mark and neither side were backing down.  
He was switched out for what would be the final stretch and was antsy as Daichi slid across the court to receive the ball that Kageyama set to Tanaka. Kuroo leapt for the ball but it was too late. Only the echoing sound of the ball bouncing across the floor was heard as the entire stadium processed the outcome of the match. Then the cheers came.  
It was a bit like an out of body experience as he was pulled into a group hug and presented with his medal during the award ceremony. They filed out of the gymnasium and he was wrapped in a hug by someone that could only be Kaori. He dug his head into her shoulder and cried. They were happy tears.  
[Life is a downhill slope from here]  
Enno [02.44]  
Can we take a sec to talk about my new fave nishiori moment  
Kino [02.46]  
Idk her lowkey sitting on him when we got sushi might still be the best  
Enno [02.46]  
Ur wrong but ol  
*ok  
He CRIED on her shoulder  
That’s iconic af  
Nari [02.48]  
Boi got a point  
Ryuuuu [02.49]  
Those 2 are goals  
Noya [09.27]  
Pls stop doing this

They returned home with a trophy yet he still had a heavy heart. There was something about leaving Kaori that broke him in pieces everytime, and with months until their next training camp it seemed they’d be falling back into their old routine of short Skype calls and messages.  
[Ryu]  
Ryu [09.34]  
U better be dating that girl I stg  
Noya [09.37]  
Im not  
And it rly hurts  
There wasn’t a real need to practice at the moment. The old third years were still there, the new first years hadn’t arrived yet, and there were no upcoming tournaments. Despite all that though, Karasuno continued on. Practice was a bit more easygoing, consisting of just informal practice matches by splitting the team in half and experimenting with formations for the current first and second years.  
This practice was stranger than the others though. It felt like everyone had their eye on him which left him somewhat unsettled. It was as if there was something everyone knew except him. He sat tying his shoelaces in the locker room as training came to an end when Tanaka led an enthusiastic march into the room with a piece of paper in his hands.  
“Bro. I know how much you miss her. Go to Tokyo. We all chipped in a few hundred yen to get you a ticket. Get your girl.” Noya gaped in disbelief. There was no way they believed in him enough to hand over their own money to send him to Tokyo.  
“I can’t take this. It must’ve been so expensive” He protested.  
“Noya-san I might have not seen it myself but if she makes your heart go gwahh that’s not something you can pass.”  
He supposed Hinata had a bit of a point. If he didn’t do it now, when would he?  
With that he packed a small bag and was on his way to Tokyo the next day. Nothing says I love you like a spontaneous visit. The train ride was long and with each hour his anxiety grew. He didn’t want to lose their friendship.  
Fukurodani high school was impressive. The building was huge and modern and it towered right over him. The gym wasn’t too far from the entrance so it took him no time to arrive at the intimidating gym doors. He slid them open and worry filled him as the volleyball team stared at him in shock.  
“Nishinoya-san, she went to Miyagi for you.” Akaashi informed him whilst the rest of the Fukurodani team continued to stare.  
“You’re kidding” Why would Kaori go all the way to Miyagi for him? Maybe they had it wrong. She must be visiting her dad.  
“Afraid I’m not.”  
With that he thanked them and left the gym, finding Kaori in his contacts as he did so.  
[Dialling Kaori <3]  
“hello?”  
“please tell me you aren’t in Miyagi right now”  
“I’m in Miyagi right now. Can you tell me why I shouldn’t be?”  
“I’m in Tokyo”  
“No fucking way”  
“Yeah. So... what do we do?”  
“Just come back. I can stay at my dad’s here anyway, you won’t have anyone up there”  
“hmm I don’t know... me and Akaashi are basically best friends now.”  
Her laugh filled the other line and they continued to talk as he made his way back to the train station.  
“I’ll see you soon Kaori”  
“I’ll wait for you at the station”  
The train ride seemed even longer on the way back but that probably had something to do with the fact that in a few hours he would finally tell Kaori how he felt. As the train pulled into the small station near Karasuno the sun was beginning to set and the sky melted into a sweet orange pink hue. He could just make out her chestnut hair as the doors opened and they dashed towards each other.  
His arms automatically opened and she threw herself into them. Her legs wrapped around him as he held her and they melted into one another. Their hug was just as long as it was warm and when they finally pulled back he met her eyes, seeing nothing but joy.  
By then the station is empty and a few stragglers are just heading out. It was just them.  
“Can... can I kiss you?” He whispered. Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly leaned in and closed the distance between their lips. Nothing could have prepared him for the eruption he felt as their lips slid across one another’s. Time didn’t seem to restart until they eventually pulled back for air.  
“It’s always been you” she said to him after a few seconds. He looked back into her sincere eyes and sighed in relief.  
“It’s always been you too.” He gently reached for her hand and she met him halfway giving it a heartfelt squeeze.  
“I don’t know about you but I’d love a nap now” she laughed as they left the station and walked toward their street.  
“Your house or mine?” was his reply.  
[kaxri.suzumeda has posted a photo]  
Looks like it all works out in the end  
[227 likes][27 comments]  
(It’s a selfie taken of the pair lying down in Noya’s bed with large grins on their faces)  
tanaka.ryu IT’S REAL! CONGRATS GUYS  
yxkie MY CHILD I’M SO PROUD  
akaashikeiji congratulations guys  
bokutowl GAJDLAPDLHAGSKWA NO WAY  
[Life is a downhill slope from here]  
Enno [03.17]  
How dare you not tell us about the nishiori rise  
Noya [03.19]  
It’s real now can u not leave this shipping behind  
Nari [03.19]  
No  
Kino [03.19]  
No  
Ryu [03.19]  
No  
Enno [03.19]  
No  
Noya [03.21]  
:’(

[Ryu]  
Ryu [04.20]  
I TOLD YOU FRIENDS CAN’T SPOON  
Noya [04.20]  
YES THEY CAN  
MAYBE NOT IN MY CASE  
BUT FRIENDS CAN SPOON

 

**Author's Note:**

> Tysm for reading this is such a rare pair and u can probably tell where I've stopped and stared writing with how my style has changed. Feedback is always appreciated <3


End file.
